Devices and methods for sample adaptive offset coding and/or selection of edge offset parameters

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, a method for encoding sample adaptive offset (SAO) values in a video encoding process is provided, the method comprising: selecting an edge offset type; selecting one of one or more edge offset sub-classes; within at least one of the edge offset sub-classes, generating an interpolated pixel value that is related to a current pixel value; generating an offset value that is related to the interpolated pixel value; and optionally applying the offset value to at least the current pixel value to form an SAO compensated value.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patentapplication No. 61/583,555, entitled “Coding and Selection of SAOParameters” filed Jan. 5, 2012, U.S. provisional patent application No.61/589,297, entitled “Modified SAO Edge Class and Offsets” filed Jan.21, 2012, and U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/597,041,entitled “Modifications to SAO Band Offset and Edge Offset” filed Feb.9, 2012, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD

The disclosure relates generally to the field of video coding, and morespecifically to systems, devices and methods for sample adaptive offset(SAO) coding and/or selection of edge offset (EO) parameters.

BACKGROUND

Video compression uses block processing for many operations. In blockprocessing, a block of neighboring pixels is grouped into a coding unitand compression operations treat this group of pixels as one unit totake advantage of correlations among neighboring pixels within thecoding unit. Block-based processing often includes prediction coding andtransform coding. Transform coding with quantization is a type of datacompression which is commonly “lossy” as the quantization of a transformblock taken from a source picture often discards data associated withthe transform block in the source picture, thereby lowering itsbandwidth requirement but often also resulting in quality loss inreproducing of the original transform block from the source picture.

MPEG-4 AVC, also known as H.264, is an established video compressionstandard that uses transform coding in block processing. In H.264, apicture is divided into macroblocks (MBs) of 16×16 pixels. Each MB isoften further divided into smaller blocks. Blocks equal in size to orsmaller than a MB are predicted using intra-/inter-picture prediction,and a spatial transform along with quantization is applied to theprediction residuals. The quantized transform coefficients of theresiduals are commonly encoded using entropy coding methods (e.g.,variable length coding or arithmetic coding). Context Adaptive BinaryArithmetic Coding (CABAC) was introduced in H.264 to provide asubstantially lossless compression efficiency by combining an adaptivebinary arithmetic coding technique with a set of context models. Contextmodel selection plays a role in CABAC in providing a degree ofadaptation and redundancy reduction. H.264 specifies two kinds of scanpatterns over 2D blocks. A zigzag scan is used for pictures coded withprogressive video compression techniques and an alternative scan is forpictures coded with interlaced video compression techniques.

HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), an international video codingstandard developed to succeed H.264, extends transform block sizes to16×16 and 32×32 pixels to benefit high definition (HD) video coding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The details of the present disclosure, both as to its structure andoperation, may be understood in part by study of the accompanyingdrawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts. Thedrawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placedupon illustrating the principles of the disclosure.

FIG. 1A is a video system in which the various embodiments of thedisclosure may be used;

FIG. 1B is a computer system on which embodiments of the disclosure maybe implemented;

FIGS. 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B illustrate certain video encoding principlesaccording to embodiments of the disclosure;

FIGS. 4A and 4B show possible architectures for an encoder and a decoderaccording to embodiments of the disclosure;

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate further video coding principles according toan embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 illustrates 5 possible edge offset (EO) sub-classes for sampleadaptive offset (SAO) according to embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a segmented line formed by three pixelvalues or points L, C, and R according to embodiments of the disclosure;and

FIG. 8 illustrates an example of a segmented line formed by three pixelvalues or points L, C, and R according to embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Accordingly, there is provided herein systems and methods that improvevideo quality by selection, coding, and signaling of parameters in asample adaptive offset (SAO) process. The methods and systems describedherein generally pertain to video processing such as video encoders anddecoders.

In a first aspect, a method for encoding sample adaptive offset (SAO)values in a video encoding process is provided, the method comprising:selecting an edge offset type; selecting one of one or more edge offsetsub-classes; within at least one of the edge offset sub-classes,generating an interpolated pixel value that is related to a currentpixel value; generating an offset value that is related to theinterpolated pixel value; and optionally applying the offset value to atleast the current pixel value to form an SAO compensated value. In anembodiment of the first aspect, the interpolated pixel value isgenerated using at least one of the neighboring pixel values of thecurrent pixel value. In an embodiment of the first aspect, theinterpolated pixel value is generated using one or more functions orcoefficients. In an embodiment of the first aspect, the coefficients areselected from coefficients for an M-tap filter. In an embodiment of thefirst aspect, the functions are selected from linear, non-linear, andcombinations thereof. In an embodiment of the first aspect, if thecurrent pixel value is equal to the interpolated pixel value, then nooffset is applied to the current pixel value. In an embodiment of thefirst aspect, if the generated offset, when added to the current pixelvalue, results in an SAO compensated value that exceeds the interpolatedpixel value, the SAO compensated value is set to the interpolated pixelvalue. In an embodiment of the first aspect, only offset values thatproduce output values that occur between and up to the interpolatedpixel value are generated. In an embodiment of the first aspect, onlymagnitude for the offset value is transmitted during encoding. In anembodiment of the first aspect, the selecting one of one or more edgeoffset sub-classes comprises: re-categorizing at least one current pixelvalue into a different sub-class, wherein the re-categorization is basedon the current pixel value being different than the mean value of two ormore neighboring pixel values. In an embodiment of the first aspect, ifthe interpolated pixel value is far from the current pixel value, suchthat when the generated offset value as applied to the current pixelvalue is still far from the interpolated pixel value, applying an offsetfunction to the current pixel value instead of the generated offsetvalue. In an embodiment of the first aspect, the offset functioncomprises a coefficient that is multiplied against the generated offsetvalue. In an embodiment of the first aspect, the selecting one of one ormore edge offset sub-classes comprises: reducing the number ofsub-classes by combining at least two sub-classes into a singlesub-class and selecting a sub-class from the reduced number ofsub-classes. In an embodiment of the first aspect, the method furthercomprises: partitioning video data into blocks, wherein each of theblocks is equal to or smaller than a picture; and applying SAOcompensation to each of the pixels in a processed video block. In anembodiment of the first aspect, the method is implemented on a computerhaving a processor and a memory coupled to said processor, wherein atleast some of steps are performed using said processor.

In a second aspect, an apparatus configured to encode sample adaptiveoffset (SAO) values in a video coding process is provided, the apparatuscomprising: a video encoder configured to: partition video data intoblocks, wherein each of the blocks is equal to or smaller than apicture; select an edge offset type; select one of one or more edgeoffset sub-classes; within at least one of the edge offset sub-classes,generating an interpolated pixel value that is related to a currentpixel value; generate an offset value that is related to theinterpolated pixel value; and apply the offset value to at least thecurrent pixel value to form an SAO compensated value.

In a third aspect, a method for decoding sample adaptive offset (SAO)values in a video decoding process is provided, the method comprising:(a) obtaining processed video data from a video bitstream; (b)partitioning the processed video data into blocks, wherein each of theblocks is equal to or smaller than a picture; (c) deriving an SAO typefrom the video bitstream for each of the blocks, wherein the SAO type isselected from the group consisting of one or more edge offset (EO) typesand one or more band offset (BO) types; (d) determining an SAO sub-classassociated with the SAO type for each of the pixels in each of theblocks; (e) deriving intensity offset from the video bitstream for thesub-class associated with the EO type, wherein the intensity offset isrelated to an interpolated pixel value that is derived from one or moreneighboring pixel values of a current pixel value; and (f) applying SAOcompensation to each of the pixels in a processed video block, whereinthe SAO compensation is based on the intensity offset of step (e). In anembodiment of the third aspect, the interpolated pixel value isgenerated using one or more functions or coefficients. In an embodimentof the third aspect, if the current pixel value is equal to theinterpolated pixel value, then no offset is applied to the current pixelvalue. In an embodiment of the third aspect, the method is implementedon a computer having a processor and a memory coupled to said processor,wherein at least some of steps (a) through (f) are performed using saidprocessor.

In a fourth aspect, an apparatus configured to decode sample adaptiveoffset (SAO) values in a video decoding process is provided, theapparatus comprising: a video decoder configured to: partition videodata into blocks, wherein each of the blocks is equal to or smaller thana picture; derive an SAO type from the video bitstream for each of theblocks, wherein the SAO type is selected from the group consisting ofone or more edge offset (EO) types and one or more band offset (BO)types; determine an SAO sub-class associated with the SAO type for eachof the pixels in each of the blocks; derive intensity offset from thevideo bitstream for the sub-class associated with the EO type, whereinthe intensity offset is related to an interpolated pixel value that isderived from one or more neighboring pixel values of a current pixelvalue; and apply SAO compensation to each of the pixels in a processedvideo block, wherein the SAO compensation is based on the intensityoffset. In an embodiment of the fourth aspect, the apparatus comprisesat least one of: an integrated circuit; a microprocessor; and a wirelesscommunication device that includes the video decoder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In this disclosure, the term “coding” refers to encoding that occurs atthe encoder or decoding that occurs at the decoder. Similarly, the termcoder refers to an encoder, a decoder, or a combined encoder/decoder(CODEC). The terms coder, encoder, decoder and CODEC all refer tospecific machines designed for the coding (encoding and/or decoding) ofvideo data consistent with this disclosure.

The present discussion begins with a very brief overview of some termsand techniques known in the art of digital image compression. Thisoverview is not meant to teach the known art in any detail. Thoseskilled in the art know how to find greater details in textbooks and inthe relevant standards.

An example of a video system in which an embodiment of the disclosuremay be used will now be described. It is understood that elementsdepicted as function blocks in the figures may be implemented ashardware, software, or a combination thereof. Furthermore, embodimentsof the disclosure may also be employed on other systems, such as on apersonal computer, smartphone or tablet computer.

Referring to FIG. 1A, a video system, generally labeled 10, may includea head end 100 of a cable television network. The head end 100 may beconfigured to deliver video content to neighborhoods 129, 130 and 131.The head end 100 may operate within a hierarchy of head ends, with thehead ends higher in the hierarchy generally having greaterfunctionality. The head end 100 may be communicatively linked to asatellite dish 112 and receive video signals for non-local programmingfrom it. The head end 100 may also be communicatively linked to a localstation 114 that delivers local programming to the head end 100. Thehead end 100 may include a decoder 104 that decodes the video signalsreceived from the satellite dish 112, an off-air receiver 106 thatreceives the local programming from the local station 114, a switcher102 that routes data traffic among the various components of the headend 100, encoders 116 that encode video signals for delivery tocustomers, modulators 118 that modulate signals for delivery tocustomers, and a combiner 120 that combines the various signals into asingle, multi-channel transmission.

The head end 100 may also be communicatively linked to a hybrid fibercable (HFC) network 122. The HFC network 122 may be communicativelylinked to a plurality of nodes 124, 126, and 128. Each of the nodes 124,126, and 128 may be linked by coaxial cable to one of the neighborhoods129, 130 and 131 and deliver cable television signals to thatneighborhood. One of the neighborhoods 130 of FIG. 1A is shown in moredetail. The neighborhood 130 may include a number of residences,including a home 132 shown in FIG. 1A. Within the home 132 may be aset-top box 134 communicatively linked to a video display 136. Theset-top box 134 may include a first decoder 138 and a second decoder140. The first and second decoders 138 and 140 may be communicativelylinked to a user interface 142 and a mass storage device 144. The userinterface 142 may be communicatively linked to the video display 136.

During operation, head end 100 may receive local and nonlocalprogramming video signals from the satellite dish 112 and the localstation 114. The nonlocal programming video signals may be received inthe form of a digital video stream, while the local programming videosignals may be received as an analog video stream. In some embodiments,local programming may also be received as a digital video stream. Thedigital video stream may be decoded by the decoder 104 and sent to theswitcher 102 in response to customer requests. The head end 100 may alsoinclude a server 108 communicatively linked to a mass storage device110. The mass storage device 110 may store various types of videocontent, including video on demand (VOD), which the server 108 mayretrieve and provide to the switcher 102. The switcher 102 may routelocal programming directly to the modulators 118, which modulate thelocal programming, and route the non-local programming (including anyVOD) to the encoders 116. The encoders 116 may digitally encode thenon-local programming. The encoded non-local programming may then betransmitted to the modulators 118. The combiner 120 may be configured toreceive the modulated analog video data and the modulated digital videodata, combine the video data and transmit it via multiple radiofrequency (RF) channels to the HFC network 122.

The HFC network 122 may transmit the combined video data to the nodes124, 126 and 128, which may retransmit the data to their respectiveneighborhoods 129, 130 and 131. The home 132 may receive this video dataat the set-top box 134, more specifically at the first decoder 138 andthe second decoder 140. The first and second decoders 138 and 140 maydecode the digital portion of the video data and provide the decodeddata to the user interface 142, which then may provide the decoded datato the video display 136.

The encoders 116 and the decoders 138 and 140 of FIG. 1A (as well as allof the other steps and functions described herein) may be implemented ascomputer code comprising computer readable instructions stored on acomputer readable storage device, such as memory or another type ofstorage device. The computer code may be executed on a computer systemby a processor, such as an application-specific integrated circuit(ASIC), or other type of circuit. For example, computer code forimplementing the encoders 116 may be executed on a computer system (suchas a server) residing in the headend 100. Computer code for the decoders138 and 140, on the other hand, may be executed on the set-top box 134,which constitutes a type of computer system. The code may exist assoftware programs comprised of program instructions in source code,object code, executable code or other formats. It should be appreciatedthat the computer code for the various components shown in FIG. 1A mayreside anywhere in system 10 or elsewhere (such as in a cloud network),that is determined to be desirable or advantageous. Furthermore, thecomputer code may be located in one or more components, provided theinstructions may be effectively performed by the one or more components.

FIG. 1B shows an example of a computer system on which computer code forthe encoders 116 and the decoders 138 and 140 may be executed. Thecomputer system, generally labeled 400, includes a processor 401, orprocessing circuitry, that may implement or execute softwareinstructions performing some or all of the methods, functions and othersteps described herein. Commands and data from processor 401 may becommunicated over a communication bus 403, for example. Computer system400 may also include a computer readable storage device 402, such asrandom access memory (RAM), where the software and data for processor401 may reside during runtime. Storage device 402 may also includenon-volatile data storage. Computer system 400 may include a networkinterface 404 for connecting to a network. Other known electroniccomponents may be added or substituted for the components depicted inthe computer system 400. The computer system 400 may reside in theheadend 100 and execute the encoders 116, and may also be embodied inthe set-top box 134 to execute the decoders 138 and 140. Additionally,the computer system 400 may reside in places other than the headend 100and the set-top box 134, and may be miniaturized so as to be integratedinto a smartphone or tablet computer.

Video encoding systems achieve compression by removing redundancy in thevideo data, e.g., by removing those elements that can be discardedwithout adversely affecting reproduction fidelity. Because video signalstake place in time and space, most video encoding systems exploit bothtemporal and spatial redundancy present in these signals. Typically,there is high temporal correlation between successive frames. This isalso true in the spatial domain for pixels which are close to eachother. Thus, high compression gains are achieved by carefully exploitingthese spatio-temporal correlations.

A high-level description of how video data gets encoded and decoded bythe encoders 116 and the decoders 138 and 140 in an embodiment of thedisclosure will now be provided. In this embodiment, the encoders anddecoders operate according to a High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC)method. HEVC is a block-based hybrid spatial and temporal predictivecoding method. In HEVC, an input picture is first divided into squareblocks, called LCUs (largest coding units) or CTUs (coding tree units),as shown in FIG. 2A. Unlike other video coding standards, in which thebasic coding unit is a macroblock of 16×16 pixels, in HEVC, the LCU canbe as large as 128×128 pixels. An LCU can be divided into four squareblocks, called CUs (coding units), which are a quarter of the size ofthe LCU. Each CU can be further split into four smaller CUs, which are aquarter of the size of the original CU. The splitting process can berepeated until certain criteria are met. FIG. 3A shows an example of LCUpartitioned into CUs.

How a particular LCU is split into CUs can be represented by a quadtree.At each node of the quadtree, a flag is set to “1” if the node isfurther split into sub-nodes. Otherwise, the flag is unset at “0.” Forexample, the LCU partition of FIG. 3A can be represented by the quadtreeof FIG. 3B. These “split flags” may be jointly coded with other flags inthe video bitstream, including a skip mode flag, a merge mode flag, anda predictive unit (PU) mode flag, and the like. In the case of thequadtree of FIG. 3B, the split flags 10100 could be coded as overheadalong with the other flags. Syntax information for a given CU may bedefined recursively, and may depend on whether the CU is split intosub-CUs.

A CU that is not split (e.g., a CU corresponding a terminal, or “leaf”node in a given quadtree) may include one or more prediction units(PUs). In general, a PU represents all or a portion of the correspondingCU, and includes data for retrieving a reference sample for the PU forpurposes of performing prediction for the CU. Thus, at each leaf of aquadtree, a final CU of 2N×2N can possess one of four possible patterns(N×N, N×2N, 2N×N and 2N×2N), as shown in FIG. 2B. While shown for a2N×2N CU, other PUs having different dimensions and correspondingpatterns (e.g., square or rectangular) may be used. A CU can be eitherspatially or temporally predictive coded. If a CU is coded in intramode, each PU of the CU can have its own spatial prediction direction.If a CU is coded in inter mode, each PU of the CU can have its ownmotion vector(s) and associated reference picture(s). The data definingthe motion vector may describe, for example, a horizontal component ofthe motion vector, a vertical component of the motion vector, aresolution for the motion vector (e.g., one-quarter pixel precision orone-eighth pixel precision), a reference frame to which the motionvector points, and/or a reference list (e.g., list 0 or list 1) for themotion vector. Data for the CU defining the one or more PUs of the CUmay also describe, for example, partitioning of the CU into the one ormore PUs. Partitioning modes may differ between whether the CU isuncoded, intra-prediction mode encoded, or inter-prediction modeencoded.

In general, in intra-prediction encoding, a high level of spatialcorrelation is present between neighboring blocks in a frame.Consequently, a block can be predicted from the nearby encoded andreconstructed blocks, giving rise to the intra prediction. In someembodiments, the prediction can be formed by a weighted average of thepreviously encoded samples, located above and to the left of the currentblock. The encoder may select the mode that minimizes the difference orcost between the original and the prediction and signals this selectionin the control data.

In general, in inter-prediction encoding, video sequences have hightemporal correlation between frames, enabling a block in the currentframe to be accurately described by a region in the previous codedframes, which are known as reference frames. Inter-prediction utilizespreviously encoded and reconstructed reference frames to develop aprediction using a block-based motion estimation and compensationtechnique.

Following intra-predictive or inter-predictive encoding to producepredictive data and residual data, and following any transforms (such asthe 4×4 or 8×8 integer transform used in H.264/AVC or a discrete cosinetransform (DCT)) to produce transform coefficients, quantization oftransform coefficients may be performed. Quantization generally refersto a process in which transform coefficients are quantized to possiblyreduce the amount of data used to represent the coefficients, e.g., byconverting high precision transform coefficients into a finite number ofpossible values. These steps will be discussed in more detail below.

Each CU can also be divided into transform units (TUs) by application ofa block transform operation. A block transform operation tends todecorrelate the pixels within the block and compact the block energyinto the low order coefficients of the transform block. In someembodiments, one transform of 8×8 or 4×4 may be applied. In otherembodiments, a set of block transforms of different sizes may be appliedto a CU, as shown in FIG. 5A where the left block is a CU partitionedinto PUs and the right block is the associated set of transform units(TUs). The size and location of each block transform within a CU isdescribed by a separate quadtree, called RQT. FIG. 5B shows the quadtreerepresentation of TUs for the CU in the example of FIG. 5A. In thisexample, 11000 is coded and transmitted as part of the overhead.

The TUs and PUs of any given CU may be used for different purposes. TUsare typically used for transformation, quantizing and coding operations,while PUs are typically used for spatial and temporal prediction. Thereis not necessarily a direct relationship between the number of PUs andthe number of TUs for a given CU.

Video blocks may comprise blocks of pixel data in the pixel domain, orblocks of transform coefficients in the transform domain, e.g.,following application of a transform, such as a discrete cosinetransform (DCT), an integer transform, a wavelet transform, or aconceptually similar transform to residual data for a given video block,wherein the residual data represents pixel differences between videodata for the block and predictive data generated for the block. In somecases, video blocks may comprise blocks of quantized transformcoefficients in the transform domain, wherein, following application ofa transform to residual data for a given video block, the resultingtransform coefficients are also quantized. In video encoding,quantization is the step that introduces loss, so that a balance betweenbitrate and reconstruction quality can be established. These steps willbe discussed further below.

Block partitioning serves an important purpose in block-based videocoding techniques. Using smaller blocks to code video data may result inbetter prediction of the data for locations of a video frame thatinclude high levels of detail, and may therefore reduce the resultingerror (e.g., deviation of the prediction data from source video data),represented as residual data. In general, prediction exploits thespatial or temporal redundancy in a video sequence by modeling thecorrelation between sample blocks of various dimensions, such that onlya small difference between the actual and the predicted signal needs tobe encoded. A prediction for the current block is created from thesamples which have already been encoded. While potentially reducing theresidual data, such techniques may, however, require additional syntaxinformation to indicate how the smaller blocks are partitioned relativeto a video frame, and may result in an increased coded video bitrate.Accordingly, in some techniques, block partitioning may depend onbalancing the desirable reduction in residual data against the resultingincrease in bitrate of the coded video data due to the additional syntaxinformation.

In general, blocks and the various partitions thereof (e.g., sub-blocks)may be considered video blocks. In addition, a slice may be consideredto be a plurality of video blocks (e.g., macroblocks, or coding units),and/or sub-blocks (partitions of macroblocks, or sub-coding units). Eachslice may be an independently decodable unit of a video frame.Alternatively, frames themselves may be decodable units, or otherportions of a frame may be defined as decodable units. Furthermore, aGOP, also referred to as a group of pictures, may be defined as adecodable unit.

The encoders 116 (FIG. 1A) may be, according to an embodiment of thedisclosure, composed of several functional modules as shown in FIG. 4A.These modules may be implemented as hardware, software, or anycombination of the two. Given a current PU, x, a prediction PU, x′, mayfirst be obtained through either spatial prediction or temporalprediction. This spatial or temporal prediction may be performed by aspatial prediction module 129 or a temporal prediction module 130respectively.

There are several possible spatial prediction directions that thespatial prediction module 129 can perform per PU, including horizontal,vertical, 45-degree diagonal, 135-degree diagonal, DC, Planar, etc.Including the Luma intra modes, an additional mode, calledIntraFromLuma, may be used for the Chroma intra prediction mode. Asyntax indicates the spatial prediction direction per PU.

The encoder 116 (FIG. 1A) may perform temporal prediction through motionestimation operation. Specifically, the temporal prediction module 130(FIG. 4A) may search for a best match prediction for the current PU overreference pictures. The best match prediction may be described by motionvector (MV) and associated reference picture (refIdx). Generally, a PUin B pictures can have up to two MVs. Both MV and refIdx may be part ofthe syntax in the bitstream.

The prediction PU may then be subtracted from the current PU, resultingin the residual PU, e. The residual PU, e, may then be transformed by atransform module 117, one transform unit (TU) at a time, resulting inthe residual PU in the transform domain, E. To accomplish this task, thetransform module 117 may use e.g., either a square or a non-square blocktransform.

Referring back to FIG. 4A, the transform coefficients E, may then bequantized by a quantizer module 118, converting the high precisiontransform coefficients into a finite number of possible values. Thequantization process may reduce the bit depth associated with some orall of the coefficients. For example, an n-bit value may be rounded downto an m-bit value during quantization, where n is greater than m. Insome embodiments, external boundary conditions are used to producemodified one or more transform coefficients. For example, a lower rangeor value may be used in determining if a transform coefficient is givena nonzero value or just zeroed out. As should be appreciated,quantization is a lossy operation and the loss by quantization generallycannot be recovered.

The quantized coefficients may then be entropy coded by an entropycoding module 120, resulting in the final compression bits. The specificsteps performed by the entropy coding module 120 will be discussed belowin more detail.

To facilitate temporal and spatial prediction, the encoder 116 may alsotake the quantized transform coefficients E and dequantize them with adequantizer module 122 resulting in the dequantized transformcoefficients E′. The dequantized transform coefficients are then inversetransformed by an inverse transform module 124, resulting in thereconstructed residual PU, e′. The reconstructed residual PU, e′, isthen added to the corresponding prediction, x′, either spatial ortemporal, to form a reconstructed PU, x′.

Referring still to FIG. 4A, a deblocking filter (DBF) operation may beperformed on the reconstructed PU, x″, first to reduce blockingartifacts. A sample adaptive offset (SAO) process may be conditionallyperformed after the completion of the deblocking filter process for thedecoded picture, which compensates the pixel value offset betweenreconstructed pixels and original pixels. In some embodiments, both theDBF operation and SAO process are implemented by adaptive loop filterfunctions, which may be performed conditionally by a loop filter module126 over the reconstructed PU. In some embodiments, the adaptive loopfilter functions minimize the coding distortion between the input andoutput pictures. In some embodiments, loop filter module 126 operatesduring an inter-picture prediction loop. If the reconstructed picturesare reference pictures, they may be stored in a reference buffer 128 forfuture temporal prediction.

HEVC specifies two loop filters that are applied in order with thede-blocking filter (DBF) applied first and the sample adaptive offset(SAO) filter applied afterwards. The DBF is similar to the one used byH.264/MPEG-4 AVC but with a simpler design and better support forparallel processing. In HEVC the DBF only applies to an 8×8 sample gridwhile with H.264/MPEG-4 AVC the DBF applies to a 4×4 sample grid. DBFuses an 8×8 sample grid since it causes no noticeable degradation andsignificantly improves parallel processing because the DBF no longercauses cascading interactions with other operations. Another change isthat HEVC only allows for three DBF strengths of 0 to 2. HEVC alsorequires that the DBF first apply horizontal filtering for verticaledges to the picture and only after that does it apply verticalfiltering for horizontal edges to the picture. This allows for multipleparallel threads to be used for the DBF.

The SAO filter process is applied after the DBF and is made to allow forbetter reconstruction of the original signal amplitudes by using e.g., alook up table that includes some parameters that are based on ahistogram analysis made by the encoder. The SAO filter has two basictypes which are the edge offset (EO) type and the band offset (BO) type.One of the SAO types can be applied per coding tree block (CTB). Theedge offset (EO) type has four sub-types corresponding to processingalong four possible directions (e.g., horizontal, vertical, 135 degree,and 45 degree). For a given EO sub-type, the edge offset (EO) processingoperates by comparing the value of a pixel to two of its neighbors usingone of four different gradient patterns. An offset is applied to pixelsin each of the four gradient patterns. For pixel values that are not inone of the gradient patterns, no offset is applied. The band offset (BO)processing is based directly on the sample amplitude which is split into32 bands. An offset is applied to pixels in 16 of the 32 bands, where agroup of 16 bands corresponds to a BO sub-type. The SAO filter processwas designed to reduce distortion compared to the original signal byadding an offset to sample values. It can increase edge sharpness andreduce ringing and impulse artifacts. Further detail on the SAO processwill be discussed below with reference to FIGS. 6-8.

In an embodiment of the disclosure, intra pictures (such as an Ipicture) and inter pictures (such as P pictures or B pictures) aresupported by the encoder 116 (FIG. 1A). An intra picture may be codedwithout referring to other pictures. Hence, spatial prediction may beused for a CU/PU inside an intra picture. An intra picture provides apossible point where decoding can begin. On the other hand, an interpicture generally aims for high compression. Inter picture supports bothintra and inter prediction. A CU/PU in inter picture is either spatiallyor temporally predictive coded. Temporal references are the previouslycoded intra or inter pictures.

The operation of the entropy coding module 120 (FIG. 4A) according to anembodiment will now be described in more detail. The entropy codingmodule 120 takes the quantized matrix of coefficients received from thequantizer module 118 and uses it to generate a sign matrix thatrepresents the signs of all of the quantized coefficients and togenerate a significance map. A significance map may be a matrix in whicheach element specifies the position(s) of the non-zero quantizedcoefficient(s) within the quantized coefficient matrix. Specifically,given a quantized 2D transformed matrix, if the value of a quantizedcoefficient at a position (y, x) is non-zero, it may be considered assignificant and a “1” is assigned for the position (y, x) in theassociated significance map. Otherwise, a “0” is assigned to theposition (y, x) in the significance map.

Once the entropy coding module 120 has created the significance map, itmay code the significance map. In one embodiment, this is accomplishedby using a context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC)technique. In doing so, the entropy coding module 120 scans thesignificance map along a scanning line and, for each entry in thesignificance map, the coding module chooses a context model for thatentry. The entropy coding module 120 then codes the entry based on thechosen context model. That is, each entry is assigned a probabilitybased on the context model (the mathematical probability model) beingused. The probabilities are accumulated until the entire significancemap has been encoded.

The value output by the entropy coding module 120 as well as the entropyencoded signs, significance map and non-zero coefficients may beinserted into the bitstream by the encoder 116 (FIG. 1A). This bitstreammay be sent to the decoders 138 and 140 over the HFC network 122.

It should be noted that the prediction, transform, and quantizationdescribed above may be performed for any block of video data, e.g., to aPU and/or TU of a CU, or to a macroblock, depending on the specifiedcoding standard.

When the decoders 138 and 140 (FIG. 1A) receive the bitstream, theyperform the functions shown in e.g., FIG. 4B. An entropy decoding module146 of the decoder 145 may decode the sign values, significance map andnon-zero coefficients to recreate the quantized and transformedcoefficients. In decoding the significance map, the entropy decodingmodule 146 may perform the reverse of the procedure described inconjunction with the entropy coding module 120—decoding the significancemap along a scanning pattern made up of scanning lines. The entropydecoding module 146 then may provide the coefficients to a dequantizermodule 147, which dequantizes the matrix of coefficients, resulting inE′. The dequantizer module 147 may provide the dequantized coefficientsto an inverse transform module 149. The inverse transform module 149 mayperform an inverse transform operation on the coefficients resulting ine′. Filtering and spatial prediction may be applied in a mannerdescribed in conjunction with FIG. 4A.

Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO)

In an SAO process, an offset is added to each pixel to reduce thedistortion of the reconstructed pixel relative to the original pixel. Inone embodiment, for a partition in a luma or chroma component, anencoder categorizes the pixels into one of six possible types (bothtypes and sub-types are collectively referred to as types here): fouredges offset (EO) types E0, E1, E2, E3 and two band offset (BO) typesB0, B1. For the EO types, the pixels are further sub-categorized intoone of five possible sub-classes based upon local behavior along the EOtype direction. These five sub-classes are described in further detailbelow. For the BO types, the pixels are further sub-categorized into oneof sixteen possible sub-classes based upon intensity. In someembodiments, for a given sub-class of pixels within an SAO type, thesame offset is applied. For example, if the offset for sub-class i iso_(i), then the SAO output corresponding to an input of p_(i) will bep_(i)+o_(i). The encoder typically selects the SAO type per sub-class tominimize a cost function. For example, if the distortion for a giventype t and set of offsets o_(t,i) is D_(t,i) and the correspondingbitrate is R_(t,i) then the cost function can beJ_(t,i)=D_(t,i)+lambda*R_(t,i), where lambda is a weighting factor. Theencoder may signal to the decoder the SAO type per partition and thecorresponding offsets per sub-class, and the decoder may perform theclassification for the SAO type and applies the offsets per sub-class toeach pixel. The SAO type can be signaled per color component, or a giventype can be signaled and used for more than one color component. In someembodiments, it is also possible for the encoder to not use or turn offSAO, and this can also be signaled to the decoder.

Coding of SAO Type

For coding of SAO type, there are generally two coding methods: highefficiency (HE) and low complexity (LC). In LC, variable lengthcodewords (VLCs) or binarized codewords are assigned to the SAO types;while in HE, the binarized codeword typically assigned to the type isfollowed by context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC). Forthe HE case, an encoder may signal the SAO type using a unary code, forexample (0's and 1's can be interchanged) as shown in Table 1:

TABLE 1 SAO type Code Off 0 E0 10 E1 110 E2 1110 E3 11110 B0 111110 B11111110

In Table 1, when SAO type is Off, no SAO is applied and thecorresponding codeword is 0. The other codewords correspond to the otherEO and BO types.

It may be noted that the units or digits within a codeword may bereferred to as “bits” for LC and “bins” for HE. The difference interminology is a result of applying CABAC to the codeword in the HEmethod. As used herein, “units” includes both bins and bits incodewords.

Edge Offsets Modified EO Type

As described above, there are four possible EO types or classes, andfive possible sub-classes per type. As used here, EO type or classrefers to the direction along where pixels will be processed, andsub-class refers to the categorization of pixel values according to thegradient pattern along the EO type or class direction. The 5 possible EOsub-classes per type (e.g., sub-class 0-4) are illustrated in FIG. 6,where the 3 pixels indicate whether neighboring pixels are greater than,less than, or equal to the current pixel. The specific numbering ofsub-classes in FIG. 6 is shown for illustration purposes only and othernumberings are also contemplated. For example, referring to sub-class 0,at Line 1, Line 1 is defined by three points or pixel values: leftneighbor pixel value (L), current pixel value (C) and right neighborpixel value (R). Line 1, therefore illustrates a current pixel value Cwith a left neighboring pixel L having a smaller value and a rightneighboring pixel R having a greater value than C. Line 2 illustrates acurrent pixel value C with a left neighboring pixel L having a highervalue and a right neighboring pixel R having a smaller value than C.Line 3 illustrates a current pixel value C with a left neighboring pixelL having an equal value and a right neighboring pixel R having an equalvalue to C.

Generally, for sub-class 0, no offset is applied to the current pixelvalue C. For sub-class 1 and sub-class 2, the current pixel value C isgenerally lower than its neighboring pixels L and R, so a positiveoffset value to increase the value of C may be applied. For sub-class 3and sub-class 4, the current pixel value C is generally greater than itsneighboring pixels L and R, so a negative offset value to decrease thevalue of C may be applied. Generally, the offset (O) for a givensub-class is applied to all pixels in the sub-class, and the output (V)of the EO operation is V=C+O.

In some embodiments, a predicted or interpolated current pixel value (I)may be generated using a weighted combination of its two neighbors, Land R. For example, if 2*C>(L+R), then the interpolated pixel value (I)can be computed as (L+R+1)>>1 (round to +infinity). If 2*C<(L+R), thenthe interpolated pixel value (I) can be computed as (L+R)>>1 (round to−infinity). In this example, the interpolated current pixel value I isan average of its two neighbors, but in general it can be a weightedcombination or function of one or more neighboring values. FIG. 7illustrates an example of a segmented line formed by L, C, and R and therelationship of I to the segmented line.

In other examples, if 2*C>(L+R), then the interpolated pixel value (I)can be computed as (L+R+1)>>1 (I is rounded towards C). If 2*C<(L+R),then the interpolated pixel value (I) can be computed as (L+R)>>1 (I isrounded towards C). For the case of 2*C=(L+R), C is effectively alreadyon the interpolated line so that C=I, no offset is applied, and V=C.

While these weighted combinations use a relatively simple function, anyfunction that takes into account one or more neighboring pixel values togenerate I may be used. Additionally, the neighboring pixel values neednot be the immediate neighboring pixels.

In some embodiments, if C=I, then no offset is applied, and the output(V)=C. If the offset (O) applied to C brings the pixel value away fromI, or away from the segmented line formed by (L, I, R), then the offsetis applied and V=C+O. If the offset (O) applied to C brings the pixelvalue towards I (towards the line) but does not pass I, then the offsetis applied and V=C+O. If the offset (O) applied to C brings the pixelvalue towards I and it passes I, then the output pixel value is set toI, that is, V=I. In other words, if the offset (O) is applied to C andthe result passes I, then the output value V is set to I, therebylimiting O.

In some embodiments, using the interpolated current pixel value (I)serves as a smoothing function because it operates as a limit defined bya function (e.g., average) of its neighbors. This, in turn, allows theoffset (O) to serve efficiently both as a noise threshold to reducevariations caused by noise and as a signal enhancer to restore signalvalues.

Generally, offsets (O) may be allowed to be applied both towards andaway from the segmented line formed by (L, I, R or L, C, R), such thatthe offset can be defined to be a signed value, where the sign canindicate the direction towards or away from the line, and the magnitudeindicates the amount of movement.

In some embodiments, offsets are only allowed to be applied in thedirection towards the segmented line formed by (L, I, R), thus allowinga single sign classification (e.g., defining the offset asnon-negative). In such instances, only the offset magnitude needs to betransmitted.

In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to define the interpolatedpixel value (I) differently than above, such as the rounding for I beaway from C. For example, if 2*C>(L+R), then the interpolated pixelvalue (I) can be computed as (L+R)>>1 (away from C). If 2*C<(L+R), thenthe interpolated pixel value (I) can be computed as (L+R+1)>>1 (awayfrom C). With this definition for I, the application of the offset O canproceed as described above. For example, if 2*C=(L+R), C is effectivelyalready on the interpolated line so that C=I, no offset is applied, andV=C. With such a definition for I, it allows for some sharpening to beperformed using an offset when C is close to but not equal to I.

In some embodiments, the current pixel value (C) may not be available oris hard to retrieve e.g., LCU boundary pixels. In such instances, thepredicted or interpolated pixel value (I) can be derived from theavailable pixels e.g., along the same direction defined by EO type. TheEO offset direction can be defined according to the predicted orinterpolated pixel value. In some embodiments, the predicted pixel orinterpolated value can be used in classifying the current pixel value,or a combination of the predicted pixel value together with theneighboring pixels can be used in the classification.

Although it was mentioned above that the interpolated pixel value (I)can be a weighted combination of its two neighbors, more generally I canbe computed based on different neighboring values as well as on C andother parameters or functions. The parameters can include e.g.,coefficients or weights for an M-tap filter or an offset, and thefunctions can include e.g., linear or non-linear combinations. Forexample, if the current and two neighboring values are C, L, and R, thenthe output value V can be computed as V=L+R+W*C+O, where the weight Wand offset O can be signaled. These parameters can be signaled to thedecoder per partition, LCU, slice, picture, group of pictures, orsequence, or be known to both encoder and decoder without furthersignaling.

Entropy Coding of Offsets

Referring back to FIG. 6, it has been observed that for sub-class 1 and2 pixels, the offset tends to be negative (towards the line). Forsub-class 3 and 4 pixels, the offset tends to be positive (towards theline). Since in both cases, the offset is applied towards the line, theoffset may be defined to be positive if it is in the direction of theline, and negative if away from the line (and zero for no change). Withsuch a definition, entropy coding of the offset can take advantage ofthe higher probability that the offset will be positive (ornon-negative). Consequently, shorter codewords may be assigned to thepositive offset values, thereby achieving bit rate savings.

Alternatively, in some embodiments, the negative offsets are ignored ordiscarded, thus simplifying the coding of offsets. Ignoring the negativeoffsets may have some advantages for e.g., subjective quality ofreconstructed frames. If negative offsets are not used or allowed, thenthe entropy coding can be designed appropriately. For example, in someembodiments, when negative offsets are not allowed, the most frequentoffset in not zero, but rather a positive offset (e.g., 1). In thisinstance, by assigning the shortest codeword to this positive offset,bit rate savings can be achieved. In other words, assigning the shortestcodeword to a most probable non-negative offset may result in greaterefficiencies.

Application of EO to Additional (Sub-Class 0) Pixels

In conventional SAO, no offset is applied to sub-class 0 pixels, shownin FIG. 6. In contrast, the present disclosure provides applying anoffset to these sub-class 0 pixels as described herein.

As explained above and shown in FIG. 7, a segmented line may be formedby L, R, and C. If the current sub-class 0 pixel value is below the line(e.g., C has a lower value than the average value of its neighbors L,R), the pixel is re-categorized or placed into sub-class 1 or 2 or a newsub-class, e.g., sub-class 5. If the current sub-class 0 pixel value isabove the line (e.g., C has a greater value than the average value ofits neighbors L, R), the pixel is re-categorized or placed intosub-class 3 or 4 or a new sub-class, e.g., sub-class 6. If the currentsub-class 0 pixel is on the line, then it remains as sub-class 0 whereno offset is applied. It should be appreciated that using this offsetapplication technique, offsets may be applied to more pixels to improveperformance without transmitting additional offsets.

New EO Sub-Class(es)

In some embodiments, additional offset classes or sub-classes can bedefined using e.g., distance thresholds, where a different offset isapplied based on distances between the current pixel value, thepredicted or interpolated pixel value, and/or the neighboring pixelvalues. For example, FIG. 8 illustrates an example segmented line formedby L, C, and R and the relationship of I to the segmented line. Asshown, the current pixel value C is a very large distance from theinterpolated pixel value I. Using conventional classification, C wouldbe classified as belonging to sub-class 1, with a standard orpredetermined offset O being applied. However, from inspecting FIG. 8,it is apparent that C is approximately the distance of three offsets Ofrom I. Consequently, applying an offset that is larger than thepredetermined offset O may be beneficial. In other words, differentoffsets may be applied depending on the distance between C and I.

In such instances, additional sub-classes can be defined based upon thedistance of C from I, and additional offsets can be signaled for eachsub-class. Alternatively, a scaled offset can be applied, where thescale factor depends on the distance between C and I.

In some embodiments, when C is close to I, such as within a distance T,an offset that moves in either direction (e.g., a signed offset) isprovided to allow for both sharpening or smoothing, where the offsetbrings C away from or closer to I, respectively. In such instances, anew EO sub-class (EN) may be defined as provided herein.

The current pixel value C may be classified into sub-class EN if |C−I<T,where T represents a closeness threshold between C and I, and an offsetcan be transmitted for the new sub-class EN. Otherwise, C may becategorized into other EO sub-classes (e.g., sub-class 0-4) such asbefore. For example, when T=1, then sub-class EN corresponds to the casewhere C=I. The entropy coding (e.g., VLC or binarization and CABAC) ofsub-class offsets can be modified to better match the statistics of theoffset values. For example, in some embodiments, the statistics of theoffset values may at least partially depend on or relate to the value ofthe closeness threshold (T) chosen.

Modification in Number of EO Sub-Classes

In some embodiments, the number of conventional sub-classes (e.g., 5)may be reduced. For example, sub-class 1 and 2 pixels may be combinedinto a new sub-class 1′ and sub-class 3 and 4 pixels may be combinedinto a new sub-class 2′, resulting in two offsets per EO type. Fornon-sub-class 0 pixels, the new sub-class 1′ pixels are such that thetwo neighbors are both greater than or equal to the current pixel, andfor non-sub-class 0 pixels, the new sub-class 2′ pixels are such thatthe two neighbors are both less than or equal to the current pixel. Ageneralization of defining sub-classes to reduce the overall number ofsub-classes and inclusion of pixels in current sub-class 0 can beachieved by defining two (three total) sub-classes of pixels: One grouphas pixel values higher than interpolated value I, and a second grouphas pixel values lower than interpolated value I (and the thirdsub-class has pixels that are equal to interpolated value I). Byreducing the number of EO sub-classes, complexity may be reduced andfewer offsets need to be transmitted.

Further reduction of sub-classes for the purpose of optimizing offsetscan be achieved by classifying pixels into two categories. The firstcategory may include all the pixels with the same value as theinterpolated value I. The second category may include all the otherpixels. In such instances, two offsets (one for each of the twosub-classes) may be signaled, or one offset may be signaled for thesecond category. The signaled offset value for the first category, ifsignaled, may be a signed value while the signaled offset value for thesecond category may be unsigned and the sign of actual offset, to beapplied to each pixel, may be derived from the relative position of thatpixel relative to the interpolated value I.

As described above, there are four possible EO types or classes, andfive possible sub-classes per type. As used here, EO type or classrefers to the direction along where pixels will be processed, andsub-class refers to the categorization of pixel values according to thegradient pattern along the EO type or class direction. In someembodiments, the number of EO sub-classes may be extended to a total ofnine sub-classes, where each pixel is classified depending on whether itis smaller, equal, or larger than the two neighboring pixels along thedirection indicated by EO type or class.

It should be appreciated that although the number of EO sub-classes wasdescribed as including nine, any suitable increased number (e.g.,greater than five) may be used. Because of the additional number ofsub-classes, more offsets may need to be sent to the decoder. Althoughmore offsets may need to be sent for the additional sub-classes, thereduction in distortion may improve performance.

In some embodiments, one or more of the above EO modifications can becombined to improve overall performance. It should be appreciated thatthe SAO (EO) sub-classes and offsets described herein can be signaled ata partition, LCU, slice, picture, group of pictures, or sequence level.The SAO (EO) sub-classes and offsets can also be combined with bandoffset types and offsets signaled at the partition, LCU, slice, picture,group of pictures, or sequence level.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Variousmodifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can beapplied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scopeof the disclosure. Thus, it is to be understood that the description anddrawings presented herein represent exemplary embodiments of thedisclosure and are therefore representative of the subject matter whichis broadly contemplated by the present disclosure. It is furtherunderstood that the scope of the present disclosure fully encompassesother embodiments and that the scope of the present disclosure isaccordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for encoding sample adaptive offset(SAO) values in a video encoding process comprising: selecting an edgeoffset type; selecting one of one or more edge offset sub-classes;within at least one of the edge offset sub-classes, generating aninterpolated pixel value that is related to a current pixel value;generating an offset value that is related to the interpolated pixelvalue; and optionally applying the offset value to at least the currentpixel value to form an SAO compensated value.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the interpolated pixel value is generated using at least one ofthe neighboring pixel values of the current pixel value.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the interpolated pixel value is generated using oneor more functions or coefficients.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thecoefficients are selected from coefficients for an M-tap filter.
 5. Themethod of claim 3, wherein the functions are selected from linear,non-linear, and combinations thereof.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereinif the current pixel value is equal to the interpolated pixel value,then no offset is applied to the current pixel value.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein if the generated offset, when added to the currentpixel value, results in an SAO compensated value that exceeds theinterpolated pixel value, the SAO compensated value is set to theinterpolated pixel value.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein only offsetvalues that produce output values that occur between and up to theinterpolated pixel value are generated.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein only magnitude for the offset value is transmitted duringencoding.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the selecting one of one ormore edge offset sub-classes comprises: re-categorizing at least onecurrent pixel value into a different sub-class, wherein there-categorization is based on the current pixel value being differentthan the mean value of two or more neighboring pixel values.
 11. Themethod of claim 1, wherein if the interpolated pixel value is far fromthe current pixel value, such that when the generated offset value asapplied to the current pixel value is still far from the interpolatedpixel value, applying an offset function to the current pixel valueinstead of the generated offset value.
 12. The method of claim 11,wherein the offset function comprises a coefficient that is multipliedagainst the generated offset value.
 13. The method of claim 1, whereinthe selecting one of one or more edge offset sub-classes comprises:reducing the number of sub-classes by combining at least two sub-classesinto a single sub-class and selecting a sub-class from the reducednumber of sub-classes.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:partitioning video data into blocks, wherein each of the blocks is equalto or smaller than a picture; applying SAO compensation to each of thepixels in a processed video block.
 15. The method of claim 1, whereinthe method is implemented on a computer having a processor and a memorycoupled to said processor, wherein at least some of steps are performedusing said processor.
 16. An apparatus configured to encode sampleadaptive offset (SAO) values in a video coding process, the apparatuscomprising: a video encoder configured to: partition video data intoblocks, wherein each of the blocks is equal to or smaller than apicture; select an edge offset type; select one of one or more edgeoffset sub-classes; within at least one of the edge offset sub-classes,generating an interpolated pixel value that is related to a currentpixel value; generate an offset value that is related to theinterpolated pixel value; and apply the offset value to at least thecurrent pixel value to form an SAO compensated value.
 17. A method fordecoding sample adaptive offset (SAO) values in a video decoding processcomprising: (a) obtaining processed video data from a video bitstream;(b) partitioning the processed video data into blocks, wherein each ofthe blocks is equal to or smaller than a picture; (c) deriving an SAOtype from the video bitstream for each of the blocks, wherein the SAOtype is selected from the group consisting of one or more edge offset(EO) types and one or more band offset (BO) types; (d) determining anSAO sub-class associated with the SAO type for each of the pixels ineach of the blocks; (e) deriving intensity offset from the videobitstream for the sub-class associated with the EO type, wherein theintensity offset is related to an interpolated pixel value that isderived from one or more neighboring pixel values of a current pixelvalue; and (f) applying SAO compensation to each of the pixels in aprocessed video block, wherein the SAO compensation is based on theintensity offset of step (e).
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein theinterpolated pixel value is generated using one or more functions orcoefficients.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein if the current pixelvalue is equal to the interpolated pixel value, then no offset isapplied to the current pixel value.
 20. The method of claim 17, whereinthe method is implemented on a computer having a processor and a memorycoupled to said processor, wherein at least some of steps (a) through(f) are performed using said processor.
 21. An apparatus configured todecode sample adaptive offset (SAO) values in a video decoding process,the apparatus comprising: a video decoder configured to: partition videodata into blocks, wherein each of the blocks is equal to or smaller thana picture; derive an SAO type from the video bitstream for each of theblocks, wherein the SAO type is selected from the group consisting ofone or more edge offset (EO) types and one or more band offset (BO)types; determine an SAO sub-class associated with the SAO type for eachof the pixels in each of the blocks; derive intensity offset from thevideo bitstream for the sub-class associated with the EO type, whereinthe intensity offset is related to an interpolated pixel value that isderived from one or more neighboring pixel values of a current pixelvalue; and apply SAO compensation to each of the pixels in a processedvideo block, wherein the SAO compensation is based on the intensityoffset.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus comprisesat least one of: an integrated circuit; a microprocessor; and a wirelesscommunication device that includes the video decoder.